sarcastically answer the argument from the common consent of men quasi verò quidquam sit tam valdè quam nihil sapere vulgare as though nothing men did more generally agree in then in being fools yet as it is evident that the ground of that scoffe was from the several manners of Divination then in use so it cannot be thought to be a general impeachment of humane nature in a thing so consequent upon the being of a God which as himself elsewhere proves is as clear from reason as from that Testimonium gentium in hac una re non dissidentium as the Christian Cicero Lactantius speaks the consent of Nations which scarce agree in any thing else but that there is a God That which we now infer from hence is that God may make known his mind in a way infallible though not immediate for in case of Inspiration of meer men it is not they so much which speak as God by them and in case that God himself should speak through the vail of humane nature the Testimony must needs be infallible though the appearance of the Divinity be not visible Those evidences whereby a Divine Testimony may be known must be such as may not leave mens minds in suspense but are of their own nature convincing proofs of it For although as to the event some may doubt and others disbelieve the Testimony so proved yet it is sufficient for our purpose that in the nature of the things supposing them to be such as we speak of they are sufficient for the eviction that the testimony attested by them is divine and infallible I know it is a great dispute among many whether those things which are usually called the common motives of faith do of their own nature only induce a probable perswasion of the truth of the doctrine as probable which they are joyned with or else are they sufficient for the producing a firm assent to the doctrine as True I grant they are not demonstrative so as to inforce assent for we see the contrary by the experience of all ages but that they are not sufficient foundation for an unprejudiced mind to establish a firm assent upon is a thing not easie to be granted chiefly upon this account that an obligation to believe doth lie upon every one to whom these evidences of a Divine Testimony are sufficiently discovered And otherwise of all sins the sin of unbelief as to God revealing his mind were the most excusable and pardonable sin nay it would be little less then a part of prudence because what can it be accounted but temerity and imprudence in any to believe a doctrine as true only upon probable inducements and what can it be but wisdom to withhold assent upon a meer verisimilitude considering what the Lyrick Poet hath long since truly told us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That a falshood may frequently seem truer to common understandings then truth its self and as Menander speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a meer verisimilitude may have more force on vulgar minds then truth hath If therefore there be no evidences given sufficient to carry the minds of men beyond meer probability what sin can it be in those to disbelieve who cannot be obliged to believe as true what is only discovered as probable I cannot therefore see how an obligation to believe a Divine Testimony is consistent with their opinion who make the utmost which any outward evidences can extend to to be only the bare credibility of the doctrine attested by them I can very well satisfie my self with the ground and reason why the more subtle wits of the Church of Rome do essert this for if nothing else can be produced by all motives of faith but only a probable perswasion of the truth of Christian doctrine then here comes in the fairest pretence for the Infallibility of their Church for otherwise they tell us we can have no foundation for a Divine faith for how can that be a foundation for Divine faith which can reach no higher then a moral inducement and beget only a probable perswasion of the credibility of the doctrine of Christ But on what account those who disown the Infallibility of the Church of Rome in the proposal of matters of faith should yet consent with those of it in an hypothesis taken up in probability meerly out of subserviency to that most advantagious piece of the mysterie of iniquity is not easie to resolve Unless the over-fondness of some upon the doctrine of the Schools more then of the Gospel hath been the occasion of it For how agreeable can that opinion be to the Gospel which so evidently puts the most defensive weapons into the hands of unbelief For doubtless in the judgement of any rational person a meer probable perswasion of the credibility of the doctrine of Christ where an assent to it as true is required can never be looked on as an act of faith for if my assent to the truth of the thing be according to the strength of the arguments inducing me to believe and these arguments do only prove a probability of Divine Testimony my assent can be no stronger then to a thing meerly probable which is that it may be or not be true which is not properly assent but a suspending our judgements till some convincing argument be produced on either side And therefore according to this opinion those who saw all the miracles which Christ did could not be bound to believe in Christ but only to have a favourable opinion of his person and doctrine as a thing which though not evidenced to be true by what he did yet it was very piously credible but they must have a care withall of venturing their belief too far only on such moral inducements as miracels were for fear they should go farther then the force of the arguments would carry them Had not this opinion now think we been a very probable way to have converted the world upon the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles when Christ saith though ye believe not me believe the works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him Nay saith this opinion that is more then we are bound to do though we see thy works we are not bound to believe thy Testimony to be Divine and certainly true but we will do all we are bound to do we will entertain a favourable opinion of thy person and doctrine and wait for somewhat else but we do not well know what to perswade us to believe When the Apostles Preach the danger of unbelief because the doctrine of the Gospel was confirmed by signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost what a fair answer doth this opinion put into the mouths of Infidels that notwithstanding all these signs and wonders they were never bound to believe the Gospel
Christ and his Apostles were sufficient evidences of a divine spirit in them and that the Scriptures were recorded by them to be an infallible rule of faith here we have more clear reason as to the primary motives and grounds of faith and withall the infallible veracity of God in the Scriptures as the last resolution of faith And while we assert such an infallible rule of faith delivered to us by such an unanimous consent from the first delivery of it and then so fully attested by such uncontroulable miracles we cannot in the least understand to what end a power of miracles should now serve in the Church especially among those who all believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God Indeed before the great harvest of Converts in the primitive times were brought in both of Iews and Gentiles and the Church sully setled in receiving the Canon of the Scriptures universally we find God did continue this power among them but after the books of the New Testament were generally imbraced as the rule of faith among Christians we find them so far from pretending to any such power that they reject the pretenders to it such as the Donatists were and plead upon the same accounts as we do now against the necessity of it We see then no reason in the world for miracles to be continued where the doctrine of faith is setled as being confirmed by miracles in the first preachers of it There are only these two cases then wherein miracles may justly and with reason be expected First when any person comes as by an extraordinary commission from God to the world either to deliver some peculiar message or to do some more then ordinary service Secondly When something that hath been before established by Divine Law is to be repealed and some other way of worship established in stead of it First When any comes upon an extraordinary message to the world in the name of and by commission from God then it is but reason to require some more then ordinary evidence of such authority Because of the main importance of the duty of giving credit to such a person and the great sin of being guilty of rejecting that divine authority which appears in him And in this case we cannot think that God would require it as a duty to believe where he doth not give sufficient arguments for faith nor that he will punish persons for such a fault which an invincible ignorance was the cause of Indeed God doth not use to necessitate faith as to the act of it but he doth so clearly propound the object of it with all arguments inducing to it as may sufficiently justifie a Believers choice in point of reason and prudence and may leave all unbelievers without excuse I cannot see what account a man can give to himself of his faith much less what Apology he can make to others for it unless he be sufficiently convinced in point of the highest reason that it was his duty to believe and in order to that conviction there must be some clear evidence given that what is spoken hath the impress of Divine authority upon it Now what convictions there can be to any sober mind concerning Divine authority in any person without such a power of miracles going along with him when he is to deliver some new doctrine to the world to be believed I confess I cannot understand For although I doubt not but where ever God doth reveal any thing to any person immediately he gives demonstrable evidence to the inward senses of the soul that it comes from himself yet this inward sense can be no ground to another person to believe his doctrine divine because no man can be a competent judge of the actings of anothers senses and it is impossible to another person to distinguish the actings of the divine Spirit from strong impressions of fancy by the force and energy of them If it be said that we are bound to believe those who say they are fully satisfied of their Divine Commission I answer First this will expose us to all delusions imaginable for if we are bound to believe them because they say so we are bound to believe all which say so and none are more confident pretenders to this then the greatest deceivers as the experience of our age will sufficiently witness Secondly Men must necessarly be bound to believe contradictions for nothing more ordinary then for such confident pretenders to a Divine Spirit to contradict one another and it may be the same person in a little time contradict himself and must we still be bound to believe all they say If so no Philosophers would be so much in request as those Aristotle disputes against in his Metaphysicks who thought a thing might be and not be at the same time Thirdly The ground of faith at last will be but a meer humane testimony as far as the person who is to believe is capable of judging of it For the Question being Whether the person I am to believe hath divine authority for what he saith What ground can I have to believe that he hath so Must I take his bare affirmation for it If so then a meer humane testimony must be the ground of divine faith and that which it is last resolved into if it be said that I am to believe the divine authority by which he speaks when he speaks in the name of God I answer the question will again return how I shall know he speaks this from divine authority and so there must be a progress in infinitum or founding divine faith on a meer humane testimony if I am to believe divine revelation meerly on the account of the persons affirmation who pretends unto it For in this case it holds good non apparentis non existentis eadem est ratio if he be divinely inspired and there be no ground inducing me to believe that he is so I shall be excused if I believe him not if my wilfulness and laziness be not the cause of my unbelief If it be said that God will satisfie the minds of good men concerning the truth of divine revelation I grant it to be wonderfully true but all the question is de modo how God will satisfie them whether meerly by inspiration of his own spirit in them assuring them that it is God that speaks in such persons or by giving them rational evidence convincing them of sufficient grounds to believe it If we assert the former way we run into these inconveniences First we make as immediate a revelation in all those who believe as in those who are to reveal divine truths to us for there is a new revelation of an object immediately to the mind viz. that such a person is inspired of God and so is not after the common way of the Spirits illumination in Believers which is by inlightning the faculty without the proposition of any new object as it
subjects they treated of and some fragments 3. Those that are extant either confess their Ignorance of eldest times or plainly discover it Of the first sort are Thucydides and Plutarch several evidences of the Graecians Ignorance of the true original of Nations Of Herodotus and his mistakes the Greeks ignorance in Geography discovered and thence their insufficiency as to an account of ancient history page 56 CHAP. V. The general uncertainty of Heathen Chronology The want of credibility in Heathen History further proved from the uncertainty and confusion in their accounts of ancient times that discovered by the uncertain form of their years An enquiry into the different forms of the Aegyptian years the first of thirty dayes the second of four Months of both instances given in the Aegyptian history Of the Chaldaean accounts and the first Dynastyes mentioned by Berosus how they may be reduced to probability Of the Aegyptian Dynastyes Of Manetho Reasons of accounting them fabulous because not attested by any credible authority and rejected by the best Historians The opinion of Scaliger and Vossius concerning their being cotemporary propounded and rejected with reasons against it Of the ancient division of Aegypt into Nomi or Provinces and the number of them against Vossius and Kircher Page 73 CHAP. VI. The uncertain Epocha's of Heathen Chronology An account given of the defect of Chronology in the â—ldest times Of the Solar year among the Aegyptians the original of the Epacts the antiquity of Intercalation among them Of the several Canicular years the difference between Scaliger and Petavius considered The certain Epocha's of the Aegyptian history no elder then Nabonasser Of the Graecian accounts The fabulousness of the Heroical age of Greece Of the ancient Graecian Kingdoms The beginning of the Olympiads The uncertain Origines of the Western Nations Of the Latine Dynastyes The different Palilia of Rome The uncertain reckoning Ab. V. C. Of impostures as to ancient histories Of Annius Inghiramius and others Of the characters used by Heathen Priests No sacred characters among the fews The partiality and inconsistency of Heathen bistories with each other From all which the want of credibility in them as to an account of ancient times is clearly demonstrated page 89 BOOK II. CHAP. I. The certainty of the Writings of Moses In order to the proving the truth of Scripture-history several Hypotheses laid down The first concerns the reasonableness of preserving the ancient History of the world in some certain Records from the importance of the things and the inconveniencies of meer tradition or constant Revelationâ— The second concerns the certainty that the Records under Moses his name were undoubtedly his The certainty of a matter of fact enquired into in general and proved as to this particular by universal consent and settling a Common-wealth upon his Laws The impossibility of an Imposture as to the writings of Moses demonstrated The plea's to the contrary largely answered page 107 CHAP. II. Moses his certain knowledge of what he writ The third Hypothesis concerns the certainty of the matter of Moses his history that gradually proved First Moses his knowledge cleared by his education and experience and certain information His education in the wisdom of Aegypt what that was The old Aegyptian learning enquired into the conveniences for it of the Aegyptian Priests Moses reckoned among them for his knowledge The Mathematical Natural Divine and Moral learning of Aegypt their Political wisdom most considerable The advantage of Moses above the Greek Philosophers as to wisdom and reason Moses himself an eye witness of most of his history the certain uninterrupted tradition of the other part among the fews manifested by rational evidence p. 119 CHAP. III. Moses his fidelity and integrity proved Moses considered as an Historian and as a Lawgiver his fidelity in both proved clear evidences that he had no intent to deceive in his History freedom from private interest impartiality in his relations plainness and â—erspicuity of stile As a Lawgiver be came armed with Divine authority which being the main thing is fixed on to be fully proved from his actions and writings The power of miracles the great evidence of Divine revelation Two grand questions propounded In what cases miracles may be expected and how known to be true No necessity of a constant power of miracles in a Church Two Cases alone wherein they may be expected When any thing comes as a Law from God and when a Divine Law is to be repealed The necessity of miracles in those cases as an evidence of Divine revelation asserted Objections answered No use of miracles when the doctrine is setled and owned by miracles in the first revelation No need of miracles in reformation of a Church pag. 134 CHAP. IV. The fidelity of the Prophets succeeding Moses In order of Prophets to succeed Moses by Gods own appointment in the Law of Moses The Schools of the Prophets the original and institution of them The Cities of the Levites The occasion of their first institution The places of the Schools of the Prophets and the tendency of the institution there to a Prophetical office Of the Musick used in the Schools of the Prophets The Roman Assamâ—nta and the Greek Hymns in their solemn worship The two sorts of Prophets among the jews Lieger and extraordinary Ordinary Prophets taken out of the Schools proved by Amos and Saul pag. 149 CHAP. V. The tryal of Prophetical Doctrine Rules of trying Prophets established in the Law of Moses The punishment of pretenders The several sorts of false Prophets The case of the Prophet at Bethel discussed The tryal of false Prophets belonging to the great Sanhedrin The particular rules whereby the Doctrine of Prophets was judged The proper notion of a Prophet not foretelling future contingencies but having immediate Divine revelation Several principles laid down for clearing the doctrine of the Prophets 1. That immediate dictates of natural light are not to be the measure of Divine revelation Several grounds for Divine revelation from natural light 2. What ever is directly repugnant to the dictates of nature cannot be of Divine revelation 3. No Divine revelation doth contradict a Divine positive Law without sufficient evidence of Gods intention to repeal that Law 4. Divine revelation in the Prophets was not to be measured by the words of the Law but by the intention and reason of it The Prophetical office a kind of Chancery to the Law of Moses pag. 165 CHAP. VI. The tryal of Prophetical Predictions and Miracles The great difficulty of the trying the truth of Prophetical predictions from Jerem. 18. 7 8 c. Some general Hypotheâ—es premised for the clearing of it The first concerns the grounds why predictions are accounted an evidence of divine revelation Three Consectaries drawn thence The second the manner of Gods revelation of his will to the minds of the Prophets Of the several degrees of Prophecy The third is that God did not alwayes reveal the internal purposes of his
will unto the true Prophets The grand question propounded how it may be known when predictions express Gods decrees and when only the series of causes For the first several rules laid down 1. When the prediction is confirmed by a present miracle 2. When the things foretold exceed the probability of second causes 3. When confirmed by Gods oath 4. When the blâ—ssings fore-told are purely spiritual Three rules for interpreting the Prophâ—cyes which respect the state of things under the Gâ—spel 5. When all circumstances are foretold 6. When many Prophets in several ages agree in the same predictions Predictions do not express Gods unalterable purposes when they only contain comminations of judgments or are predictions of temporal blâ—ssings The case of the Ninivites Hezekiah and others opened Of repentance in God what it implyes The jewish objâ—ctions â—bout predictions of temporal blâ—ssings answered In what cases miracles were expected from the Prophets when they were to confirm the truth of their religion Instanced in the Prophet at Bethel Elijah Elishah and of Moses himself Whose divine authority that it was proved by miracles is demonstrated against the modern Iews and their pretences answered p. 177 CHAP. VII The eternity of the Law of Moses discussed The second case wherein miracles may be expected when a Divine positive Law is to be repealed and another way of worship established in stead of it The possibility in general of a repeal of a Divine Law asserted the particular case of the Law of Moses disputed against the Iews the matter of that Law proved not to be immutably obligatory because the ceremonial precepts were required not for themselves but for some further end that proved from Maimonides his confession the precepts of the Ceremonial Law frequently dispensed with while the Law was in force Of the Passover of Hezekiah and several other instances It is not inconsistent with the wisdom of God to repeal such an established Law Abravanels arguments answered Of the perfection of the Law of Moses compared with the Gospel Whether God hath ever declared he would never repeal the Law of Moses Of adding to the precepts Of the expressions seeming to imply the perpetuity of the Law of Moses Reasons assigned why those expressions are used though perpetuity be not implyed The Law of Moses not built upon immutable reason because many particular precepts were founded upon particular occasions as the customs of the Zabii many ceremonial precepts thence deduced out of Maimonides and because such a state of things was foretold with which the observation of the Ceremonial Law would be inconsistent That largely discovered from the Prophecies of the old Testament CHAP. VIII General Hypotheses concerning the Truth of the Doctrine of Christ. The great prejudice against our Saviour among Iews and Heathens was the meaness of his appearance The difference of the miracles at the delivery of the Law and Gospel Some general Hypotheses to clear the subserviency of miracles to the Doctrine of Christ. 1. That where the truth of a doctrine depends not on evidence but authority the only way to prove the truth of the Doctrine is to prove the Testimony of the revealer to be infallible Things may be true which depend not on evidence of the things What that is and on what it depends The uncertainty of natural knowledge The existence of God the foundation of all certainty The certainty of matters of faith proved from the same principle Our knowledge of any thing supposeth something incomprehensible The certainty of faith as great as that of knowledge the grounds of it stronger The consistency of rational evidence with faith Yet objects of faith exceed reason the absurdities following the contrary opinion The uncertainty of that which is called reason Philosophical dictates no standard of reason Of transubstantiation and ubiquity c. why rejected as contrary to reason The foundation of faith in matters above reason Which is infallible Testimony that there are wayes to know which is infallible proved 2. Hypoth A Divine Testimony the most infallible The resolution of faith into Gods veracity as its formal object 3. Hypoth A Divine Testimony may be known though God speak not immediatly Of inspiration among the Iews and Divination among the Heathens 4. Hyp. The evidences of a Divine Testimony must be clear and certain Of the common motives of faith and the obligation to faith arising from them The original of Infidelity CHAP. IX The rational evidence of the Truth of Christian Religion from Miracles The possibility of miracles appears from God and providence the evidence of a Divine Testimony by them God alone can really alter the course of nature The Devils power of working miracles considered Of Simon Magus Apollonius The cures in the Temple of Aeseulapius at Rome c. God never works miracles but for some particular end The particular reasons of the miracles of Christ. The repealing the Law of Moses which had been setled by miracles Why Christ checked the Pharisees for demanding a sign when himself appeals to his miracles The power of Christs miracles on many who did not throughly believâ— Christs miracles made it evident that he was the Messias because the predictions were fulfilled in him Why John Baptist wrought no miracles Christs miracles necessary for the everthrow of the Devils Kingdom Of the Daemoniaeks and Lunaticks in the Gospel and in the Primitive Church The power of the name of Christ over them largely proved by several Testimonies The evidence thence of a Divine power in Christ. Of counterfeit dispossessions Of miracles wrought among Infidels Of the future state of the Church The necessity of the miracles of Christ as to the propagation of Christian Religion that proved from the condition of the publishers and the success of the Doctrine The Apostles knew the hazard of their imployment before they entred on it The boldness and resolution of the Apostles notwithstanding this compared with heathen Philosophers No motive could carry the Apostles through their imployment but the truth of their Doctrine not seeking the honour profit or pleasure of the world The Apostles evidence of the truth of their doctrine lay in being eye-witnesses of our Saviours miracles and resurrâ—ction That attested by themselves their sufficiency thence for preaching the Gospel Of the nature of the doctrine of the Gospel contrariety of it to natural inclinations Strange success of it notwithstanding it came not with humane power No Christian Emperour till the Gospel universally preached The weakness and simplicity of the instruments which preached the Gospel From all which the great evidence of the power of miracles is proved pag. 252 CHAP. X. The difference of true miracles from false The unreasonableness of rejecting the evidence from miracles because of impostures That there are certain rules of distinguishing true miracles from false and Divine from diabolical proved from Gods intention in giving a power of miracles and the providence of God in the world The inconvenience of taking
subsequent or for want of understanding the designs of the chief instruments of action but when the person himself who was the chief in all shall undertake to write an exact History of it what evidence can be desired more certain then that is that there could be no defect as to information concerning what was done The only seruple then that can be made must be concerning the passages of former times which Moses relates And here I doubt not but to make it appear that insisting only on all that can be desired in a bare Historian setting aside Divine revelation he had as true and certain information of the History of those former ages as any one can have of things at that distance from themselves and that is by a certain â—â—interrupted tradition of them which will appear more clear and evident in that Nation of which Moses was then in any other Nation in the world And that on these two accounts first the undoubted linâ—al deseent from Father to Son in the Iâ—wish Nation Secondly Their intâ—rest lying so much in the preserving this tradition entire First That there was a certain unmixed linâ—al descent from Father to Son in the Iewish Nation the great â—ause of most of the confusion in the tradition of other Nations was the frequent mixing of several families one with another now that God might as it were on purpose satisfie the world of the Israelites capacity to preserve the tradition entire he prohibited their mixture by marriages with the people of other Nations and families So that in Moses his time it was a very easie matter to run up their lineal descent as far as the flood nay up to Adam for Adam conversed sometime with Noah Sem his Son was probably living in some part of Iacobs time or Isaac's at least and how easily and uninterruptedly might the general tradition of the ancient History be continued thence to the time of Moses when the number of families agreeing in this tradition was increased and withall incorporated by a common ligament of Religion I demand then where can we suppose any ignorance or cutting off this general tradition in so continued a succession as here was Can we imagine that the Grand-children of Iacob could be ignorant of their own pedigree and whence they came into Egypt can we think a thing so late and so remarkable as the account of their coming thither should be forgotten which was attended with so many memorable circumstances especially the selling and advancement of Ioseph whose memory it was impossible should be obliterated in so short a time Could Iacob be ignorant of the Country whence his Grand-father Abraham came especially when he lived so long in it himself and married into that branch of the family that was remaining there when he had served his Uncle Laban Could Abraham when he was cotemporary with Sem be ignorant of the truth of the flood when Sem from whom he derived himself was one of the persons who escaped it in the Ark Could Sem be ignorant of the actions before the flood when Adam the first man lived some part of his time with Noah and could Noah then be ignorant of the Creation and the fall of man Thus we see it almost impossible that any age among them then could be ignorant of the passages of the precedent which they were so few Generations removed from that they could with ease derive themselves from the first man What then can we say that any of these had a design of deceiving their posterity and so corrupted the tradition but besides that it could be hardly possible at that time when there were so many remaining testimonies of former times what end can we imagine that any Parents should have in thus deceiving their Children or what advantage should come to them by such a deceit Nay I shall now manifest in the sicond place that the whole interest of their children lay in preserving this tradition certain and entire For their hopes of possessing Canaan and title to it depended upon the promise made to Abraham 400 years before which would not only keep awake their sense of Divine Providence but would make them careful during their bondage to preserve their Genealogies because all the right they could plead to their pâ—ssessions in Canaan was from their being of Abrahams seed And besides this on purpose to be a memorial to them of passâ—ges between God and Abraham they had in their flesh a badge of circumcision which would serve to call to mind those transactions which had been between God and their forâ—-fathers These things then do fully demonstrate that insisting only on rational evidence the Israelites were the most certain conservatours of the ancient History of the world and can we then think that Moses who was the Ruler among them should not fully understand those things which every Israelite could scarce be ignorant of and might correct the mistakes of Moses in his History if he had been guilty of any such These things I suppose have made the first proposition evident that it was morally impossible Moses should be deceived himself or be ignorant of the things which he reports to others both because he had abilities sufficient to discover truth from falshood and sufficient information of the passages of former times CHAP. III. Moses his fidelity and integrity proved Moses considered as an Historian and as a Lawgiver his fidelity in both proved clear evidences that he had no intent to deceive in his History freedom from private interest impartiality in his relations plainness and perspicuity of stile As a Lawgiver he came armed with Divine authority which being the main thing is fixed on to be fully proved from his actions and writings The power of miracles the great evidence of Divine revelation Two grand questions propounded In what cases miracles may be expected and how known to be true No necessity of a constant power of miracles in a Church Two Cases alone wherein they may be expected When any thing comes as a Law from God and when a Divine Law is to be repealed The necessity of miracles in those cases as an evidence of Divine revelation asserted Objections answered No use of miracles when the doctrine is setled and owned by miracles in the first revelation No need of miracles in reformation of a Church THE second proposition contains the proof of Moses his fidelity that he was as far from having any intent to deceive others as he was being deceived himself Two wayes Moses must be considered as an Historian and as a Law-giver the only inducement for him to deceive as an Historian must be some particular interest which must draw him aside from an impartial delivery of the truth as a Law-giver he might deceive if he pretended Divine revelation for those Laws which were only the issues of his own brain that they might be received with a greater veneration among the people as Numa Pompilius and others did
therein should be afterwards confirmed Was the Scripture an infallible rule of faith while this was wanting in it Did Christ and his Apostles discharge their places when they left something unrâ—vealed to us Was this a duty before these miracles or no if it was what need miracles to confirm it if not Christ hath not told us all necâ—ssary conditions of salvation For whatever is required as a duty is such as the neglect of it runs men upon damnation Lastly mens faith will be left at continual uncertainties for we know not according to this principle when we have all that is necessary to be beliâ—ved or do all that is necessary to be practised in order to salvation For if God may still make new articles of saith or constitute new duties by fresh miracles I must go and enquire what miracles are wrought in every place to see that I miss nothing that may be necessary for me in order to my happiness in another world If men pretend to deliver any doctrine contrary to the Scripture then it is not only necessary that they confirm it by miracles but they must manifest the falsity of those miracles on which that doctrine is believed or else they must use another miracle to prove that God will set his seal to confirm both parts of a contradiction to be true Which being the hardest task of all had need be proved by very sufficient and undoubted miracles such as may be able to make us believe those are miracles and are not at the same time and so the strength of the argument is utterly destroyed by the mâ—dium produced to prove it by By this discourâ—e these two things are clear First that no pretences of miracles are to be hearkened to when the doctrine we are to believe is already established by them if those miracles tend in the least to the derogation of the truth of what was established by those former miracles Secondly that when the full doctrine we are to believe is established by miracles there is no necessity at all of new miracles for confirmation of any of the truths therein delivered And therefore it is a most unreasonable thing to demand miracles of those to prove the truth of the doctrine they deliver who do first solemnly profess to deliver nothing but what was confirmed by miracles in the first delivery of it and is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and secondly do not pretend to any immediate Commission from heaven but do nothing but what in their consciences they think every true Christian is bound to do much more all Magistrates and Ministers who believe the truth of what they profess which is in their places to reform all errours and abuses which are crept into the doctrine or practice of Christianity through the corruption of men or times And therefore it is a most unjust and unreasonable demand of the Papists when they require miracles from our first reformers to prove the truth of their doctrine with Had they pretended to have come with an immediate commission from heaven to have added to the Doctrine of the Gospel there had been some plea for such a demand but it was quite otherwise with them Their only design was to whip the buyers and sellers out of the Temple to purge the Church from its abuses And although that by Ierome was thought to be one of our Saviours greatest miracles yet this by us is conceived to be no other then the duty of all Magistrates Ministers and private Christians these by their prayers Ministers by their doctrine and Magistrates by their just authority CHAP. IV. The fidelity of the Prophets succeeding Moses In order of Prophets to succeed Moses by Gods own appointment in the Law of Moses The Schools of the Prophets the original and institution of them The Cities of the Levites The occasion of their first institution The places of the Schools of the Prophets and the tendency of the institution there to a prophetical office Of the Musick used in the Schools of the Prophets The Roman Assamenta and the Greek Hymns in their solemn worship The two sorts of Prophets among the Jews Lieger and extraordinary Ordinary Prophets taken out of the Schools proved by Amos and Saul BUt although now under the Gospel the revelation of Gods will being compleated by Christ and his Apostles we have no reason either to expect new Revelations or new miracles for confirming the old yet under the Law God training up his people by degrees till the comming of Christ there was a necessity of a new supply of Divine Messengers called Prophets to prepare the people and make way for the comming of Christ. As to whom these two things are considerable First Those Prophets whose work was to inform the people of their duties or to reprove them for their sins or to prepare them for the comming of the Messias which were their chief tasks had no need to confirm the truth of their doctrine or commission from heaven by the working of miracles among them And that on these two accounts First Because God did not consummate the revelation of his mind and will to the Jews by the Ministry of Moses but appointed a succession of Prophets to be among them to make known his mind unto them Now in this case when the prophetical â—ffice was established among them what necessity was there thaâ— every one that came to them upon an errand from God should prove his testimony to be true by miracles when in the discharge of his office he delivered nothing dissonant from the Law of Moses It is one argument God intended a succession of Prophets when he laid down such rules in his Law for tâ—e judging of them and to know whether they were truly inspired or no Deut. 15. 21 22. And in that same place God doth promise a succession of Prophets Deut. 18. 15 18. A Prophet will the Lord God raise up unto thee like unto me to him shall ye hearken Which words though in their full and compleat sense they do relate to Christ who is the great Prophet of the Church yet whoever attends to the full scope of the words will easily perceive that the immediate sense of them doth relate to an order of Prophets which should succeed Moses among the Iewes between whom and Moses there would be a great similitude as to their Birth Calling and Doctrine though not a just equality which is excluded Deut. 34. 10 11. and the chief reason why it is said there that the other Prophets fell so much short of Moses is in regard of the signs and wonders which he wrought as is there largely expressed Nor may it seem strange that by a Prophet should be understood an order or succession of Prophets when it is acknowledged by most Protestants that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist is understood a rank and succession of several persons in the same name function And that it is
I confess it carries the fairest probability with it that this prophecying with Musical instruments was at their places and times of sacrifice an adjnuct if not a part of the solemn service of God which was managed chiefly by the Quire of the Sons of the Prophets which were resident there and were trained up in all exercises of piety and devotion But yet I cannot see any reason to think that all this prophecying was meerly singing of Hymns and playing upon their Musical instruments to them as some imagine because there seems to be implyed some immediate impulses of a prophetick spirit by what Samuel said to Saul that when he came among the Prophets the spirit of the Lord would come upon him and he should prophecy with them and he should become another man What strange impulse and wonderful transformation was this meerly for Saul to joyn with the Prophets in their praises of God And this needed not so much admiration as followed there upon this action of Sauls that it should become a Proverb Is Saul also among the Prophets Certainly Saul was a very great hater of all spiritual Musick before if it became a Proverb meerly for his being present at or joyning with this company in singing their Hymns Therefore others think that those who are said particularly to prophecie at these Musick-meetings were some persons as chief among the rest who having their spirits elevated by the Musick did compose Hymns upon the place by a Divine Energy inwardly moving their minds So that there were properly divine raptures in some of them which transported them beyond the ordinary power of fancy or imagination in dictating such Hymns as might be suitable for the design of celebrating the honour of God Neither may it seem strange that such an Enthusiastick Spirit should seize on them only at such selemn times since we read in the New Testament of a like exercise of such gifts in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 14. 26. where we see in coming together every one had a Psalm a Doctrine a Tongue a Revelation c. Whereby it appears that they were inspired upon the place etiam extemporales Hymni saepe ab afflatuerant as Grotius there observes as we see it in frequent instances in Scripture of Simeon and Anna Moses and Miriam Deborah and Isaiah and in the Christian Church after that Landslood of inspired gifts was much abated in the Church they kept up a custome much like to these extemporal hymns as appears evidently by Tertullian post aquam manualem lumina ut quisque de Scripturis sanctis vel de proprio ingenio potest provocatur in medium Deo canere After they had ended their Love-feasts they begun their Hymns which were either taken from the Scriptures or of their own composition Which Pliny takes notice of as a great part of the Christians worship that they did secum invicem carmen Christo quasi Deo dicere they joyned in singing hymns to Christ as God Nay we find something very parallel to this preserved among the ruins of the Heathen worship such were the Assamenta among the old Romans which were peculiarly sung to the honour of some particular God thence the Assamenta Ianualia Iunonia Minervia which were priva poemata carmina in singulos eos Deos conscripta as the learned Ioseph Scaliger observes So likewise the old Greeks had their solemn hymns to their Gods some to the propitious Gods which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latins properly Indigitamenta and carmen calatorium others they had to their Vejoves or laeva numina which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latins Carmen Averruncale but besides these they had some peculiar to the several Deities as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Diana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Apollo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Ceres Dithyrambus to Bacchus Adonidia to Adonis as Proclus tells us in his Chrestoâ—â—athia And it is withall evident that the Heathens thought some of their Priestâ— inspired while they were performing these solemn devotions to the Gods which probably was by Satan as many other things in Heathen worship taken up in imitation of these inspired hymns and Musick used by the sons of the Prophets but their hymns were so composed as to be fit rather to transport men beyond the power of their reason then to compose and sweeeten it which was suitable to the fanatick Enthusiasm which was so common among them So Proclus tells us that the Io-Bacche was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of noise and din and the Dithyrambus was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of extatick Morice-dance and their Priests were apprehended by them to be under a real Enthusiasm at these Solemnities So the Corybantes are described rather like mad men then meer Enthusiasts by Strabo they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he describes them dancing about with their cymbals and drums and arms and pipes as though a Bedlam had been broke loose among them yet this was in high esteem among them for as Strabo after saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Enthusiasm seemed to have a divine touch with it and to come very near to a prophetick spirit But though the prophecying with Musick among the sons of the Prophets might be by some extemporary hymns immediately dictated by the praecentor of the Chorus yet we are not to imagine any such frantick actions among them as were among the Curetes and Corybantes it being always the Devils temper to overdo when he strives to imitate and in stead of solemn and set devotions to carry men beyond all sense and reason The Spirit of God did never dictate any Io-Bacche's or Dithyrambs to transport and amuse the spirits of men but those sweet airs which might both compose and elevate the spirits of all that heard them For in probability the spirits of all these Prophets were as Lutes tuned to the same height that when the Spirit of God did strike upon one of them the rest presently answered to it and so made up an entire Consort among them So Menochius thinks the Spirit of God not only moved the spirit of him who was the praecentor but the rest likewise who joyned with him and they are said to prophecy saith Torniellus fortè quod non quascunque sed Propheticas duntaxat cantiones praecinerent but from hence we clearly see what the great employment was in these Schools of the Prophets which as the same Author expresseth it was statis horis de rebus divinis disserere divinis laudibus vacare and thereby we understand what reference this institution had in order to the prophetical office because the Spirit of God did much appear among them and all their exercises tended to piety and so did remove all prejudices from their persons when God did send them abroad afterwards And so it is evident he frequently did not to say always for that were to
of the spirit upon the soul it cheerfully embraceth that Truth which is revealed and cordially yields up its self in obedience to it This is the Divine faith which the Scripture acquaints us with and not such a one as meerly believes the truth of a Divine Testimony and as to the production of this faith I acknowledge meer rational evidence to be insufficient because they proceed in 2â— very different ways the one is to satisfie mens minds of the truth of the doctrine the other is to bring them effectually to adhere unto it The asserting of the one therefore doth no more tend to destroy the other then the saying that a Telescope will help us to discover very much of the heavenly bodies doth imply that a blind man may see them if he makes but use of them Although therefore the natural man cannot savingly apprehend the things of God yet there may be so much rational evidence going along with Divine revelation that supposing reason to be pure and not corrupted and steeped in sense as now it is it would discover spiritual evidence to be the most real and convincing evidence Thus far we have proved that where there is any infallible Testimony there is sufficient rational evidence going along with it to make it appear that it is from God CHAP. IX The rational evidence of the truth of Christian Religion from Miracles The possibility of miracles appears from God and providence the evidence of a Divine Testimony by them God alone can really alter the course of nature The Devils power of working miracles considered Of Simon Magus Apollonius The cures in the Temple of Aesculapius at Rome c. God never works miracles but for some particular end The particular reasons of the miracles of Christ. The repealing the Law of Moses which had been setled by miracles Why Christ checked the Pharisees for demanding a sign when himself appeals to his miracles The power of Christs miracles on many who did not throughly believe Christs miracles made it evident that he was the Messias because the predictions were fulfilled in him Why John Baptist wrought no miracles Christs miracles necessary for the overthrow of the Devils Kingdom Of the Daemoniacks and Lunaticks in the Gospel and in the Primitivâ— Church The power of the name of Christ over them largely proved by several Testimonies The evidence thence of a Divine power in Christ. Of counterfeit dispossessions Of miracles wrought among Infidels Of the future state of the Church The necessity of the miracles of Christ as to the propagation of Christian Religion that proved from the condition of the publishers and the success of the Doctrine The Apostles knew the hazard of their imployment before they entred on it The boldness and resolution of the Apostles notwithstanding this compared with heathen Philosophers No motive could carry the Apostles through their imployment but the truth of their Doctrine not seeking the honour profit or pleasure of the world The Apostles evidence of the truth of their doctrine lay in being eye-witnesses of our Saviours miracles and resurrection That attested by themselves their sufficiency thence for preaching the Gospel Of the nature of the doctrine of the Gospel contrariety of it to natural inclinations Strange success of it notwithstanding it came not with humane power No Christian Emperour till the Gospel universally preached The weakness and simplicity of the instruments which preached the Gospel From all which the great evidence of the power of miracles is proved OF all rational evidences which tend to confirm the truth of a Divine Testimony there can be none greater then a power of working miracles for confirmation that the Testimony which is revealed is infallible The possibility of a power of miracles cannot be questiond by any who assert a Deity and a Providence for by the same power that things were either at first produced or are still conserved which is equivalent to the other the course of nature may be altered and things caused which are beyond the power of inferiour causes For though that be an immutable Law of nature as to Physical beings that every thing remains in the course and order wherein it was set at the Creation yet that only holds till the same power which set it in that order shall otherwise dispose of it granting then the possibility of miracles the subject of this Hypothesis is that a power of miracles is the clearest evidence of a Divine Testimony which will appear from these following considerations God alone can really alter the course of nature I speak not of such things which are apt only to raise admiration in us because of our unacquaintedness with the causes of them or manner of their production which are thence called wonders much less of meer juggles and impostures whereby the eyes of men are deceived but I speak of such things as are in themselves either contrary to or above the course of nature i. e. that order which is established in the universe The Devil no question may and doth often deceive the world and may by the subtilty and agility of his nature perform such things as may amuse the minds of men and sometimes put them to it to find a difference between them and real miracles if they only make their sâ—nses judges of them And such kind of wonders though they are but spaâ—ingly done and with a kind of secrecy as though they were consulting with Catiline about the burning Rome yet the Devil would have some especially when Ignorance and Superstition are Ascendents to keep up his interest in the world Or else when he is like to be dispossessed and thrown out of all he then tryes his utmost to keep as many to him as may be thus when the Spirit of God appeared in the miracles of our Saviour and his Apostles and the Primitive Church he then conjured up all the infernal powers to do something parallel to keep possession of his Idolatrous Temples as long as he could Thus we find Simon Magus dogging the Apostles as it were at the heels that by his Magick he might stagger the faith of people concerning the miracles wrought by the Apostles after him Apollonius appeared upon the Stage but his wonders are such pittifull things compared with those wrought by Christ or his Apostles that it could be nothing but malice in Hierocles to mention him in competition with Christ. But those things which seem a great deal more considerable then either of these were the cure of a blind man by Vespasian in Egypt mentioned by Tacitus and Suetonius wherein there was a palpable imitation of our Saviours curing the blind man in the Gospel for the man told Vespasian restituturum oculos si inspuisset that he should receive his sight by his spittle so Spartianus tells us of a woman that was cured of her blindness by kissing the knees of the Emperour Adrian and Boxhornius hath produced an old Fable in the Temple of
the advancement of the flourishing condition of the Church is not meerly by outward pomp and grandeur and that the purity of the Church is not inconsistent with a state of outward difficulties which the experience oâ— the Primitive Church gives an irrefragable demonstration of Thus much may serve to shew the necessity of a power of miracles conjoyned with the Christian Doctrine to manifest the truth of it by overthrowing the Kingdom of that great Antichrist the Devil who had usurped so much Tyranny over the world The last reason why a power of miracles was so necessary for confirming the truth of the Gospel is because the Gospel was to be propagated over the world without any other rational evidence then was contained in the miracles wrought for the confirmation of it Now the admirable success which this doctrine found in the world considering all the circumstances of it doth make it clear what certainty there was that the miracles which were wrought were true and they were certain evidences that the doctrine attested by them was from God Now this will appear from these two things That no rational account can be given why the Apostles should undertake to publish such a doctrine unless they had been undoubtedly certain that the Doctrine was true and they had sufficient evidence to perswade others to beleeve it That no satisfactory account can be given considering the nature of the doctrine of Christ and the manner of its propagation why it should meet with so great acceptance in the world had there not been such convincing evidence as might fully perswade men of the truth of it I begin with the first from the publishers of this doctrine in the world All that I here require by way of a Postulatum or supposition are onlythese two things which no man right in his wits I suppose will deny 1. That men are so far rational agents that they will not set upon any work of moment and difficulty without sufficient grounds inducing them to it and by so much the greater the work is the more sure and stedfast had the grounds need to be which they proceed upon 2. That the Apostles or first Publishers of the Christian doctrine were not men distracted or bereft of their wits but acted by principles of common sense reason and understanding as other men in the world do Which if any one should be so far beside his wits as to question if he have but patience and understanding enough to read and consider those admirable writings of theirs which are conveyed to us by as certain uninterrupted a Tradition as any thing in the world hath been and by that time he will see cause to alter his judgement and to say that they are not mad but speak the words of the greatest truth and soberness These things supposed I now proceed to the proving of the thing in hand which will be done by these three things First That the Apostles could not but know how hâ—zardous an employment the preaching of the Gospel would be to them Secondly that no motive can be conceived sufficient for them to undertake such an employment but the infallible truth of the doctrine which they preached Thirdly that the greatest assurance they had themselves of the truth of their Doctrine was by being eye-witnesses of the miracles of Christ. First That the Apostles could not but understand the hazard of their employment notwithstanding which they cheerfully undertook it That men armed with no external power nor cried up for their wit and learning and carrying a doctrine with them so contraâ—y to the general inclinations of the world having nothing in it to recommend it to mankind but the Truth of it should go about to perswade the world to part with the Religion they owned and was setled by their laws and to embrace such a religion as called them off from all the things they loved in this world and to prepare themselves by mortification self-denial for another world is a thing to humane reason incredible unless we suppose them acted by a higher spirit then mankind is ordinarily acted by For what is there so desirable in continual reproaches contumelies what delight is there in racks and prisons what agreeableness in flames and martyrdoms to make men undergo some nay all of these rather then disown that doctrine which they came to publish Yet these did the Apostles cheerfully undergo in order to the conversion of the world to the truth of that doctrine which they delivered to it And not only so but though they did foresee them they were not discouraged from this undertaking by it I confess when men are upon hopes of profit and interest in the world engaged upon a design which they promise themselves impunity in having power on their side though afterwards things should fall out contrary to their expectation such persons may die in such a cause because they must and some may carry it out with more resolution partly through an innate fortitude of spirit heightened with the advantages of Religion or an Enthusiastick temper But it is hard to conceive that such persons would have undertaken so hazardous an employment if beforehand they had foreseen what they must have undergone for it But now the Apostles did foreknow that bonds and imprisonment nay death its self must be undergone in a violent manner for the sake of the doctrine which they preached yet not withstanding all this they go boldly and with resolution on with their work and give not over because of any hardships and persecutions they met withall One of the chiesest of them S. Peter and as forward as any in Preaching the Gospel had the very manner of his death foretold him by Christ himself before his Ascension yet soon after we find him preaching Christ in the midst of those who had crucified him and telling them to their faces the greatness of their sin in it and appealing to the miracles which Christ had done among them and bidding them repent and believe in him whom they had crucified if ever they would be saved And this he did not only among the people who gave their consent to the crucifying of Christ but soon after being conventedâ—ogether â—ogether with Iohn before the Court of Sanbedrin probably the very same which not long before had sentenced Christ to death for a miracle wrought by them with what incredible boldness doth he to their faces tell them of their murdering Christ and withall that there was no other way to salvation but by him whom they had crucified Be it known unto you all saith Peter to the Sanhedrin and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Iesus Christ whom ye have crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this man stand here before you whole Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved What
was converted from Plato to Christ and then found that true which he speaks of in his Dialogue with Trypho that after all his enquiries into Philosophy speaking of the doctrine of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I found this at last to be the only sure and profitable Philosophy And when Trypho after derides him as a man of very easie faith who would leave the doctrine of Plato for that of Christ for it seems by him the Iews then had a more favourable opinion of the state of Platonists then Christians Iustin is so far from being moved with such reproaches that he tells him he would undertake to demonstrate to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Christians did not give credit to empty fables and unprovable assertions but to such a doctrine as was full of a Divine spirit and power and flourished with grace The proving of which is the subject of that discourse At Alexandria we meet with a succession of excellent persons all which were not only embracers themselves but defenders of the Christian faith for setting aside there Abilius Iustus Cerdo Eumenes Marcus Celadion Agrippinus Iulianus Demetrius and others who flourished about the second Century I shall only fix on those persons who were famous enquirers after truth and noted for excellency in Heathen learning yet these persons after all their inquiries found nothing to fix on but the Christian faith and valued no other discovery of truth in comparison with that Such was Pantaenus who as Eusebius tells us was an excellent Stoick before he became a Christian and was after so eminent a one that in imitation of the Apostles he wenâ— into India to convert the inhabitants to the Christian faith and at his return was made Rector of the School at Alexandria which as the same author tells us was much frequented by such who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well skild in humane as well as Divine learning How excellent Pantaenus was in humane learning may appear in that Origen and Hierome both make his example their plea for the studying of it After him succeeded Clemens Alexandrinus Pantaenus his Schollar a person of great depth of learning and exquisitly skild in all Heathen Antiquities as appears by his remaining writings The Learning of Origen is sufficiently known which was in such great reputation in his own time that not only Christians but Philosophers flocked to his Lectures at Alexandria as Eusebius tells us wherein he read the Mathematicks and other parts of Philosophy as well as the Scriptures and the same author informs us that the Philosophers did dedicate their books to him and sometimes chose him as arbitrator between them in matters of dispute and Porphyrie himself in his books against the Christians vouchsafed a high encomium of Origen for his excellent learning In Origens time Heraclas a Presbyter of Alexandria for five years together frequented the Schools of the Philosophers and put on the Philosophick pallium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and was very conversant in the books of the Grecian Learning Besides these we read of Pierius and Achillas two Presbyters of Alexandria who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nicephorus Callistus speaks persons well skild in the Grecian learning and Philosophy If from Alexandria we go to Caesarea there we not only meet with a School of learning among the Christians but with persons very eminent in all kinds of learning such were the famous Pamphilus and Eusebius so great an admirer of him that ever since he is called Eusebius Pamphili At Antioch was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nicephorus speaks a person versed in all kind of ingenuous literature Anatclius Bishop of Laodicea one versed in Geometry Astronomy and all kind of Philosophy as well as in the doctrine of Christ. Thus we see how in those early dayes of the Greek Church what excellent persons many of those were who were zealous Professors of Christianity and concerning those of the Latin Church I shall only mention that speech of St. Austin who was himself an instance of the same nature and a star of the first magnitude among them Nonne aspicimus quanto auro argento vâ—ste sâ—ffarcinatus exierit de Aegypto Cyprianâ—s Doctor suavissimus Martyr beatissimus quanto Lactantius quanto Victorinus Optatus Hilarius ut de vivis taceam quanto innumerabiles Graeci quod prior ipse fidelissimus Dei servus Moses fecerat de quo Scriptum est quod eruditus fuerit omni sapientia Aegyptiorum To whose catalogue of learned persons among the Latin Christians Tertullian Arnobius and several others may be deservedly added But as St. Austin there well observes though the Israclites went rich out of Aegypt yet it was their eating the Passover which saved them from destruction so though these were accomplished with those perfections and riches of the soul the ornaments of learning yet it was their eating the true Passover which was Christ by their adhering to his doctrine was that which would be of more advantage to them then all their accomplishments would be Now then since in the first ages of the Christian Church we find not only innumerable multitudes of persons of great integrity and sobriety in their lives embracing the doctrine of Christ but so many persons that were curious enquirers after the truth of things we can certainly have no reason to distrust such a Testimony which was received in so unanimous a manner by persons as able to judge of the truth of things and as fearful of being deceived in reference to them as any now in the world can be 2. As this testimony was received by persons inâ—uisitive after the truth of things so the doctrine conveyed by it was a matter of the highest moment in the world and therefore we cannot conceive but persons ordinarily inquisitive about other things would be more then ordinarily so about this because their eternal welfare and happiness did depend upon it All persons that are truly religious must at least be allowed to be persons very inquisitive after the state and condition of their souls when they shall be dislodged from their bodyes And if we do but grant this can we in any reason think that such a multitude of persons in so many ages should continue venturing their souls upon a Testimony which they had no assurance of the truth of And that none of all these persons though men otherwise rational and judicious should be able to discover the falsity of that doctrine they went upon if at least any upon consideration of it can imagine it to be so It is not reconcileable with the general presumption of humane nature concerning Divine providence and the care God takes of the welfare of men to suffer so many persons who sincerely desire to serve God in the way which is most pleasing to him to go on in such a continual delusion and never have it at all discovered to them If all then who
whom it was very frequent who worshipped the devils instead of Gods 2. Because of the general dispersion of Copies in the world upon the first publishing of them We cannot otherwise coâ—ceive but that records containing so weighty and important things would be transcribed by all those Churches which believed the truth of the things contained in them We see how far curiosity will carry men as to the care of transcribing antient MSS. of old Authors which contain only some history of things past that are of no great concernment to us Can we then imagine those who ventured estates and lives upon the truth of the things revealed in Scripture would not be very careful to preserve the authentick instrument whereby they are revealed in a certain way to the whole world And besides this for a long time the originals themselves of the Apostolical writings were preserved in the Church which makes Tertullian in his time appeal to them Age jam qui voles curiositatem melius exercere in negotio salutis tuae percurre Ecclesias Apostolicas apud quasipsae adhuc cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesidentur apud quas ipsae authenticae corum literae recitantur sonantes vocem representantes faciem uniuscujusque Now how was it possible that in that time the Scriptures could be corrupted when in some of the Churches the original writings of the Apostles were preserved in a continual succession of persons from the Apostles themselves and from these originals so many Copies were transcribed as were conveyed almost all the world over through the large spread of the Christian Churches at that time and therefore it is impossible to conceive that a Copy should be corrupted in one Church when it would so speedily be discovered by another especially considering these three circumstances 1. The innumerable multitude of Copies wh ch would speedily be taken both considering the moment of the thing and the easiness of doing it God probably for that very end not loading the world with Pandâ—cts and Codes of his Laws but contriving the whole instrument of mans salvation in so narrow a compass that it might be easily preserved and transcribed by such who were passionate admirers of the Scriptures 2. The great number of learned and inquisitive men who soon sprung up in the Christian Church whose great care was to explain and vindicate the sacred Scriptures can we then think that all these Watch-men should be asleep together when the â—vil one came to sow his Tares which it is most unreasonable to imagine when in the writings of all these learned men which were very many and voluminous so much of the Scripture was inserted that had there been corruption in the Copies themselves yet comparing them with those writings the corruptions would be soon discovered 3. The great venâ—ration which all Christians had of the Scripture that they placed the hopes of their eternal happiness upon the truth of the things contained in the Scriptures Can we then think these would suffer any material alteration to creep into these records without their observing and discovering it Can we now think when all persons are so exceeding careful of their Deeds and the Records whereon their estates depend that the Christians who valued not this world in comparison of that to come should suffer the Magna Charta of that to be lost corrupted or imbezzeled away Especially considering what care and industry was used by many primitive Christians to compare Copies together as is evident in Pantaenus who brought the Hebrew Copy of Matthew out of the Indies to Alexandria as Eusebius tells us in Pamphilus and the Library he errected at Caesarâ—a but especially in Origens admirable Hexapla which were mainly intended for this end 3. It is impossible to conceive a corruption of the copy of the Scriptures because of the great differences which were all along the several ages of the Church between those who acknowledged the Scriptures to be Divine So that if one party of them had foisted in or taken out any thing another party was ready to take notice of it and would be sure to tell the world of it And this might be one great reason why God in his wise providence might permit such an increase of heresies in the Infancy of the Church viz. that thereby Christians might be forced to stand upon their guard and to have a special eye to the Scriptures which were alwayes the great eye-sores of hereticks And from this great wariness of the Church it was that some of the Epistles were so long abroad before they found general entertainment in all the Churches of Christ because in those Epistles which were doubted for some tâ—me there were some passages which seemed to favour some of the heresies then abroad but when upon severe enquiry they are found to be what they pretended they were received in all the Christian Churches 4. Because of the agreement between the Old Tâ—stament and the New the Prophesies of the Old Testament appear with their full accomplishment in the New which we have so that it is impossible to think the New should be corrupted unless the old were too which is most unreasonable to imagine when the Iews who have been the great conservators of the Old Testament have been all along the most inveterate enemies of the Christians So that we cannot at all conceive it possible that any material corruptions or alterations should creep into the Scriptures much less that the true copy should be lost and a new one forged Supposing then that we have the same authentick records preserved and handed down to us by the care of all Christian Churches which were written in the first ages of the Church of Christ what necessity can we imagine that God should work new miracles to confirm that dâ—ctrine which is conveyed down in a certain uninterrupted way to us as being seâ—led by miracles undoubtedly Divine in the first promulgation and penning of it And this is the first reason why the truth of the Scriptures need not now be sealed by new miracles 2. Another may be because God in the Scripture hath appointed other things to continue in his Church to be as seals to his people of the truth of the things contained in Scriptures Such are outwardly the Sacraments of the Gospel baptism and the Lords Supper which are set apart to be as seals to confirm the truth of the Covenant on Gods part towards us in reference to the great promises contained in it in reference to pardon of sin and the ground of our acceptance with God by Iesus Christ and inwardly God hath promised his Spirit to be as a witness within them that by its working and strengthning grace in the hearts of believers it may confirm to them the truth of the records of Scripture when they finde the counter part of them written in their hearts by the singer of the Spirit of God It cannot then be with any reason at all supposed